Opening the Pandora's Box

Aaron's smile flattened slowly as if maybe he’d said too much, or maybe he was done with that thought. My heart began to race. He was talking about preferring to be here, immersed in his work—his passion. I could admit we’d had moments. He might even be attracted to me. But I’d be beyond full of myself if I so much as considered the possibility that he might be implying he’d rather be here—with me.

“But that makes total sense,” I blurted out quickly before he’d notice I was making more of his admission and because I could hardly stand the intense way he was staring at me. “A person’s passion, whether it’s a job or a hobby like painting or running, is usually very therapeutic. If you’re feeling pressured, which could easily manifest into stress, it makes sense you’d rather stay here than go back to what’s creating that stress.”